1. IRELAND’S ENVIRONMENT
DID YOU KNOW?
• Generally, Ireland’s soils are considered to be in good condition, with the exception of peat areas, which
are particularly vulnerable due to external pressures
• Natural peatland acts as a long-term carbon store; however, when peatland is damaged this function is
reversed and carbon is released to the environment
• The main land cover type in Ireland is agricultural land, which accounts for two-thirds of the national
landmass
The soil of Ireland is an immensely valuable national resource, which formed and evolved slowly over a very
long period of time. Soil is a biologically active, complex mixture of weathered minerals, organic matter,
organisms, air and water that provides foundation for life in terrestrial ecosystems.
The Irish landscape is the direct result of many hundreds of years of human interventions and land use change.
Many of these changes were derived by historical processes and events, such as the forest clearances prior to
the 1700’s, the Famine and the depopulation of rural Ireland from the 1850’s through much of the last century.
More recently the population growth of the late 20th and early 21st century led to an increase in the extent of
built-up areas. However, the overall area of artificial surfaces remains low in comparison with other EU
countries, and agriculture is still the predominant land use in Ireland.
1700
1800
1900
THE CURRENT SITUATION
The main land cover type in Ireland is agricultural land, which accounts for two-thirds of the national
landmass. Most of this is permanent grassland pastures. Peatlands and wetlands are the second most
widespread land cover type, covering almost one-fifth of the country, while forested areas cover over
one-tenth of the country. Our agricultural land cover is far ahead of the European average of 42%, while the
amount of land that is forested in Ireland is just one third of the European average of 35%.
A diverse range of providers contribute to the collation and analysis of land cover and land use data in Ireland.
However there is no clear mandated authority with overall responsibility for the task. A study by the EPA in
2010 found that there is a pertinent need for a national high-resolution (1-5 ha scale) land cover dataset
specially designed to characterise Irish Land Use and Land Cover adequately.
PEATLAND
Almost one-fifth of land in Ireland is categorised as peatland. This includes raised bogs, blanket bogs and fens.
Natural peatland acts as a long-term carbon store; however, when peatland is damaged this function is
reversed and carbon is released to the environment. Release of terrestrial carbon from soil and biomass is a
major source of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main contributor to climate change.
Losses of carbon from degraded peatlands and associated activities (e.g. combustion of peat) mean that, at a
national level, Irish peatlands are a large net source of carbon.
Ireland’s
soils are in
GOOD
CONDITION
generally
2000
.................................................................................
1600
..................................................................
LAND & SOIL
11%
Forest
20%
Peatlands/
Wetlands
66%
Agricultural
www.epa.ie/
irelandsenvironment/

2. IRELAND’S ENVIRONMENT
FORESTRY
Forestry accounts for 11% of land cover, which is low compared with a European average of 35%. Much of the
forest in Ireland is young, with nearly 40% of total forest planted since 1990.
However, the management of forest lands can be challenging from an environmental perspective. The potential
for adverse disturbance of vegetation, soils and landscape during afforestation and forest harvesting is large.
These processes can also impact on water quality through acidification and nutrient mobilisation.
The range of benefits from Ireland’s forest cover is diverse. These benefits extend beyond basic timber
production to employment, biodiversity, wildlife conservation, carbon sequestration, recreation and tourism.
SOIL
A healthy soil provides us with clean air, food and water. It supports the growth of both plant and animal life
while providing foundations for human habitats and structures. The immense biodiversity of our soils is the
foundation of many ecosystems. The variety of species found beneath the earth’s surface in our soils is vast.
There is relatively little legislation relating directly to soil and soil protection. In 2006, the EU published a
Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection and introduced a proposed Soil Framework Directive; this has not yet
been finalised. The Irish Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations for On-Farm Development support soil
protection in Ireland through the requirements for environmental impact assessments for soil operations such
as soil drainage.
The lack of heavy industry in Ireland means that our soils have not suffered from significant amounts of
contamination. The large percentage of permanent pasture land has protected Ireland’s soils from serious
degradation, with the notable exception of peatlands.
The revival of a national effort on soils has been supported by significant investment since 2000 by the EPA
Research Programme. Research in this area is intended to provide scientific knowledge to underpin the
protection and sustainable use of soil. The production of a National Soils Database have provided much needed
baseline knowledge on soils across Ireland. The Irish Soil Information System aims to produce a national digital
soil map at a 1:250,000 scale with the associated soil information system for Ireland by 2014.
..........................................................................................................................................
LAND & SOIL
EU AVERAGE
COVERAGE
35%
IRELAND
COVERAGE
11%
.........................................................................................................................................................................
STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA)
................................................................................................................................................................
The main objective of SEA is to provide environmental protection and to implement environmental considerations into plans and
programmes with the promotion of sustainable development. SEA is mandatory for certain plans/programmes in the areas of
agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, industry, transport, waste management, water management, telecommunications, tourism,
town and country planning and land use.
To find out more view the EPA’s Ireland’s Environment web pages at www.epa.ie/irelandsenvironment